Receiving chamber for pneumatic cleaning apparatus



Nov. 9, 1943. R. P. SWEENY 2,333,961

RECEIVING CHAMBER FOR PNEUMATIC CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 15, 1940 ROBERT R-$WE EN )1,

Patented Nov. 9, 1943 UNITED"STATES PATENT was OFFICE Y naonlvnvacnmnnron PNEUMATIC 'oLnAmNG APPARATUS Robert P. Swfeeny, Atlanta, Ga. Application April-15, 1940. Serial No. seaaio .iacnims. (.01. Isa-67 The present invention relates to improvements air inductor cleaners of the type used. in cot ton mills. This application constitutes a con-- tinuation-in-part of my co-pending application S; N. 295,514, filed September 18, 1939, and em titled Pneumatic cleaning apparatus.

The cleaner has primary utilityin stripping lintand foreign matter from carding machinery.

One object is. to provide a cleaner which will effectively separate dust from lint.

A second objective is to avoidtwisting and knotting of the lint, and to avoid rolling itinto balls;

In cotton mills cleaning apparatus of this type is also used in cleaning floors and machines, as Well as for stripping cards. Lint and other fibers picked up by the cleaners are generally reclaimed and utilized. If the air stream in which thejlint and dust is carried is overturbulent, thefibers' become twisted, knotted and co-mingled with dust so that extensive reclaiming processes are necessary. Accordingly, the reduction in oper ations necessary for reclaiming the fibers after they have been deposited in the cleaner is an object.

One of the primaryobj'ects of this invention is to provide a receiving chamber in which the lint is not only deposited free from knotting, but also in which dust is automatically separatedffrom the lint. I

A specific object is to provide baifle structure not only positively to guide the dust and lint in their respective movements, but. also to. facilitate in separating any grouped lint fibers and for liberating dust therefrom.

Still again, it is intended toreduce the cost in machine parts, repair, and "cost of operation by utilizing relatively low pressureair', which may be economically supplied in large volume.

A further objective is to provide positive, predictable control of the matter picked up by the cleaner.

The structure which provides these and other advantages will be clear from the following specification and drawing, in which: V V

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away,

of the assembly; I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower, inclined shelf with bafiles;.and v d Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower inclined shelf and bafiies shown in Fig. 2. 1

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral l indicates the suction intake pipe' which'is to the receiver 22.

to beconnected' to a source of compressed air (notv shown) at the threaded end l8. At the. outlet end ii), the induction chamber is connected by the sectional expansion duct 20,. comprising three sections. 16, 8 8 and 98, respectively, Receiver 2.2 is closed at: its upper end by a top 2-, and has; a'cloth'bag, 23 at the lower end. As seen best in Fig. l, the expansion duct enters the receiver near the: top and spirals dOnWhWardly. therein.

In the interior of the receiver 22-, the; coiled portion of the expansion duet ends; at: mouth 2-8 fromwhich the lint and dusteladen air is dis charged.

Immediately above the mouth 23 of, expansion duct the upper, inclined shelf .32 is: secured so that it extends around the inner Wall of the receiver and ends at thev lower side of mouth 28 of the expansionduct. As shown particularly in Fig. 1 and 2., there is a lower inclined shelf 32 extending substantially parallel to upper inclined shelf '39, the lower inclined shelf starting at the lower Side of mouth 28, ofv the expansion duct and extending. downwardly and around the inner Wall of. the receiver 22. With reference to. Figs. 2 and 3, the lpwer inclined shelf 32 has a non-radial baffle 34 mounted, as shown at 35, on the top surface of the shelf. Shelf 32 ends with a downwardly projecting lip 38 and has on its underside the. bafe fie 40 secured at 4| and a second baffle 42 secured at 43. It should be noted thatthe bafiles ill! and 42 extend substantially radiallywith respect to the center of receiver 22,. Immediately beneath mouth 28 of expansion duct 29 there is mounted substantially radially with respect to the center of the receiver 22 the large bafile 54 v which has at its top a curved seat as shown by connectable at I; to a pipe leading to thecleam ing nozzle. The induction chamber ['4 is adapted the reference numeral 46 for accommodating the lower end of the expansion duct. The large baffle has, at its lower corners, the forwardly turned deflector 43 and the rearwardly turned deflector 50. The large bafile 44 preferably extends down below the bottom of receiver 22, and into the bag as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of the general assembly is as follows:

When the compressed air supply is connected at IE to the induction chamber, the cleaning nozzle (which may be of the type shown in either of my earlier patents, Nos. 1,426,428 and 1,559,804, although it is obvious that other types of cleaning nozzles may be used) is, passed over the element to be cleaned of lint and/or dust. The

lint and dust are intake pipe l0, passed through the sectional expansion duct 20 and are'blown into the receiver from the mouth 28.

The upper inclined shelf 30 and the lower inclined shelf 32 guide the air which carries dust and lint downwardly as it passes around the inside walls of the receiver 22. When the air carrying the dust and lint strikes the upper nonradial baffle (the circumferential velocity of the moving matter is'broken and some of the air and lint is deflected towards the center of the receiver, thereby enabling the air further to and lose velocity. The remaining compressed air and lint continues around, being guided-down drawn through the suction expand wardly by upper and lower shelves 30 and-32, re-.

spectively, until striking large baflle 44 which deflects the greater portion of the air and lint inwardly and downwardly into a cloth bag 23 which is attached at the bottom of the receiver. Ballie also serves to'help diffuse the compressed. air and helps prevent the air from swirling around in thecloth bag 23. e

The large batlie .includes deflectors and lint is not immediately killed, but is allowed to pass downwardly around the sides of the receiver until striking the large baflie which causes the remaining lint to drop to the bottom of the bag. Dust, however, beinglighter, is blown by the air which is still under some compression to the sides "sand 50 which tend to direct portions of the air conof the cloth bag 23 to which it ad-. 1

heres and from which it may becollected sepl aratel from the lint which is reposed the bag. It should be noted that the bafiles, particularly 34 and 44, not only directthe lint and'dust as described above, but they also break up any matted fibers, thereby separating them from each other and from dust. Since the swirling motion of the air is not immediately killed by the baflles, it is serviceable to transport the dust particles which are relatively light in weight to the sides of bag 23.

Having herein described some embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be known thatIdo not intend to limit myself thereby, except within the scope of the appended claims. 7

I claim:

I. In a separating device; a receiving chamber having a substantially closed upper end portion and a bag forming the lower portion of said receiving chamber, said bag having a substantially closed lower end portion, an expansion duct disposed in said upperend portion, said'duct being provided with inlet and outlet openings disposed on alternate ends thereof, upper, shelf means extending inwardly from the inner wall of said chamber and spiraling downwardlyjfrom a point adjacent the upper side of said outlet opening of said duct to a point intermediate said upper and lower end portions of said receiving chamber, lower shelf means extending inwardly from the inner wall of said chamber and spaced below said upper shelf means, said lower shelf means spiraling downwardly from a' point adjacent the lower side of said outlet opening to a point intermediate said upper and lower end portions of said receiving chamber, and balls means on said lower shelf. means,rsaid baflle means extending substantially transverse tosaid 1 lower shelf means.

2. In a separating device as defined in claim 1, said upper and lower shelf means from and parallel to each other.

3. In a separating device'as deilnedin'claiml.

saidexpansion duct havmg a spiral conflguration.

4. In a separating device as deflned'in claim 1,

1 said expansion duct spiraling downwardly and progressively increasing in cross-sectional area from the upper end to the lower end thereof,

"and said outlet opening being disposed on the lower end thereof.

, 5., In a separating device as'deflned in claim 1. the lower end portion of said upper shelf and the upper end portion of said lower shelf being adjacent to each other and held in a substanw opening of said inlet pipe to a point intermediate said upperand lower end portions of said receiving chamber, a lower shelf extending inwardly.

from said inner wall of said chamber and spaced below said upper shelf, said lower shelf spiraling downwardly from a point adjacent the lower side ofsaid exhaust opening? to a point intermediate said upper and lower end portions of said receiving chamber. and bame means on said lower shelf, said baflle 'means extending substantially transverse to said lower shelf.

'7. In a separating device as claimed in claim 6, the outer edges of said shelves engaging. respec tively, againstthe inner side of the wall of said receiving chamber.

8. In a separating device as claimed in claim 6, the said upper shelf forming substantially one convolution around the inside of said. chamber from the upper side of said exhaust opening substantially to a point below the lower side of said exhaust opening, the lower end of said upper shelf extending circumferentially beyond the lower end of said lower shelf.

' 9. In a cleaning apparatus, a substantially cylindrical receiving chamber having top and bot-- tom closure members, anexpansion duct having inlet and outlet openings, said outlet opening being disposed intermediate 'said'top and bottom closure members, an upper shelf extending inwardly from the inner wall of said chamber and spiraling downwardly from a point'adjacent the upper side of said outlet opening, a lower shelf extending inwardly from said inner wall of said chamber and spaced below said upper shelf, said lower shelf spiraling downwardly toward said bottom closure member, said lower shelf being provided withan upstanding baille mounted on the upper side thereof.

10. In a cleaning apparatus as claimed inclalm 9, the lower end of said upper shelf extending around the inner side of the wall of said chamber being space opening, and a transverse bafile mounted beneath said lower shelf substantially at the upper end thereof.

11. In a cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 9, the upper shelf extending around the inner side of the wall of said chamber to a point substantially below the lower side of said outlet opening, a transvers bafile mounted beneath said lower shelf near the upper end thereof, the inner lower corner of the last-mentioned baille being turned rearwardly with respect to the direction of air flow, the outer lower corner thereof being turned forwardly with respect to the direction of the air flow.

12. In a. cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 9, said upstanding baffle extending substantially across the upper surface of said lower shelf at an angle to the radius of said chamber, the lower end of the upper shelf extending circumferentially beyond the lower end of the lower shelf substantially to below the lower side of said outlet opening, a transverse bafile mounted at a point below the lower side of said outlet opening, and having in the top edge thereof a curved seat for embracing said expansion duct at a point adjacent said outlet opening, the outer edge of said transverse baflie being engaged against the inner side of the wall of said chamber and extending downwardly to a point substantially below the bottom edge of said chamber, the lower inner corner of said transverse bafile being turned rearwardly with respect to the direction of air flow, the lower outer corner being turnedforwardly with respect to the direction of air flow, and a second transverse baffle mounted substantially below the central portion of said lower shelf.

13. In a cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 9, the upstanding baffle extending substantially across the upper surface of said lower shelf at an angle to the radius of said chamber, the lower end of the upper shelf extending circumferentially beyond the lower end of the lower shelf and substantially to a point below the lower side of said outlet opening, a transverse baille mounted below the lower side of said outlet opening and having in the top edge thereof a curved seat for embracing said expansion duct at a point adjacent said outlet opening, the outer edge of said transverse baffle being engaged against the inner side of the wall of said chamber, the lower inner corner of said transverse bafile being turned rearwardly with respect to the direction of air flow, the lower outer corner being turned forwardly with respect to the direction of said air flow, and a plurality of transverse bafiles mounted on the under side of said lower shelf.

ROBERT P. SWEENY. 

